NEWS & UPDATES
Children’s Literacy Initiative & The Bookworm Box Collaborate to Transform Early Literacy Instruction and Empower Young Readers
PHILADELPHIA – June 21, 2022 – Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI), a Philadelphia-based education 501(c)(3), and The Bookworm Box, a Texas-based non-profit supporting charitable organizations, through the promotion and love of reading, have partnered to help transform literacy instruction and classrooms for racial equity. The Bookworm Box presented CLI with a $30,000 check, which will equip teachers with research-based instructional practice professional development and empower young readers with high-quality reading materials and culturally sustaining pedagogy. This donation is part of proceeds from The Bookworm Box’s global 7th Anniversary Collection campaign. This collection included 14 autographed books with covers exclusively designed by The Bookworm Box.
Founded by New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, The Bookworm Box has helped over 400 charities, donating over 1 million dollars to various organizations.
Co-Founder and Executive Director, Murphy Rae Fennell, said, “We are inspired by CLI’s mission to empower children with high-quality culturally sustaining reading instruction. As adults, we may take reading for granted, forgetting that literacy is the foundation of all learning for every human being. CLI’s work reminds us that we must be intentional in our effort to create a more equitable educational system. We are excited to expand their impact and aid in building a national community of change agents for literacy!”
Currently, CLI operates across six U.S. states serving 70,000 children and 3,500 educators, providing educators with high-quality training, coaching, and resources to enable them to become exemplary instructors who make an impact in helping children achieve reading proficiency at or above grade level.
“For children, learning to read has meaning far beyond the simple building of skills. It is an act of identity building and affirmation, a way to understand and question the world around them, and most importantly, joy. And this is what we look to cultivate in every classroom, school, and district we partner with. Working with The Bookworms Box is an honor, and we look forward to continuing our work to equip school districts, principals, and teachers with the resources needed to empower and pursue their dreams,” said Reina Prowler, CLI’s interim CEO.
Thank you to The Bookworm Box, founders Colleen Hoover and Murphy Rae Fennell, and team, for their generous gift.
ABOUT THE BOOKWORM BOX
Bookworm Box exists to support charitable organizations through the promotion and love of reading.
Founded in 2017 by #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover and her two sisters, The Bookworm Box has a brick-and-mortar store in Sulphur Springs, Texas, an online store as well as a monthly subscription box service. Authors from around the world donate signed paperbacks to The Bookworm Box to be sold at the store and online, and the net profits are given to non-profit organizations. With its subscription box service, The Bookworm Box partners with traditionally published and independent authors to create boxes that include books with an exclusive cover that are hand-signed by the authors and bookish swag. These authors donate their time and forfeit any potential royalties or advances in order to help us maximize the charitable donations we’re able to give each month.
Since its inception seven years ago, The Bookworm Box has aided more than 400 charities, helped promote over 500 authors, and donated more than $1.3 million to charitable organizations.
In the first six months of 2022, The Bookworm Box has donated more than $141,000 to non-profits across the US, including RAINN, KultureCity, The National Civil Rights Museum, Children’s Literacy Initiative, One Colorado, East Texas Crisis Center, and WordPlay Cincy,
Website: www.thebookwormbox.com
Online store: www.thebookwormboxshop.com
Address:
204 Main Street
Sulphur Springs, TX 75483
903-919-5027
ABOUT CHILDREN'S LITERACY INITIATIVE
Founded in Philadelphia in 1988, Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI) is a national 501(c)(3) working to advance equity in public education in the U.S. by ensuring Black and Latinx children achieve reading success by the end of third grade. CLI accomplishes this through job-embedded coaching and professional development, seminars and workshops, and providing the books and materials teachers and children need along their early literacy journeys.
Learning to read has significance beyond building skills – it is an act of liberation. By helping
educators learn and apply high-impact, culturally sustaining instructional strategies and nurturing dynamic professional learning communities, CLI is building lasting capacity in teachers and principals to advance equity in education.
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